Auburn Honors Graduates Turn Sourdough Hobby into Award-Winning Stinson Breads

Matthew and Anna Claire Stinson parlayed a 2019 home-based sourdough project into a downtown Opelika bakery that earned them the Alabama Retail Association’s 2025 Emerging Retailer of the Year “Gee Award” on Oct. 23, 2025, and a feature from Auburn’s Honors College on March 3, 2026. After opening their first brick-and-mortar bakery in April 2024, Stinson Breads posted dramatic growth: sales rose 434% from 2023 to 2024, and another 288% in 2025.

Stinson Breads now employs 25 team members and supplies handmade breads and pastries across the Auburn-Opelika area, partnering with nearly 20 local restaurants and cafes. Named partners include Acre, Lucy’s, and Side Track Coffee, and the business describes itself as focused on artisan breads, pastries, sustainable practices, and community investment.

The Alabama Retail Association highlighted the couple’s rapid scaling and community focus when presenting the Gee Award, noting that the prize is “Presented annually, the ‘Gee Award’ honors an up-and-coming retailer who demonstrates strong business growth and innovative retailing.” Rick Brown, president of the Alabama Retail Association, praised the bakery: “Stinson Breads is proof that passion and craftsmanship can create something extraordinary, not just in the products they bake, but in the community they’ve built,” and added, “Their growth, innovation, and dedication to their employees make them a model for the future of Alabama retail.”

Looking ahead, the Stinsons are expanding into a much larger downtown Opelika space, though reports differ on exact size. Alabama Retail Association reporting says the plan is for a new 3,500-square-foot bakery and café that will increase production capacity more than fivefold, add indoor dining, and expand online ordering. Auburn University reporting says the company will be moving into a 4,000-square-foot building in downtown Opelika; neither report provides a firm opening date.

The founders’ hands-on learning and community orientation show in their operations. Wire Auburn noted that the couple “devoured books on how to make bread,” and Matthew Stinson described his approach: “I would buy a new book just in case it had two new paragraphs about a technique.” He offered practical advice to students and entrepreneurs: “If you have the capacity to do it — then do it,” and “Honors College is what you make of it. Learn how to operate in different scenarios, make yourself uncomfortable and maximize your time in Honors.” Anna Claire emphasized the bakery’s community purpose: “At Stinson Breads, we’re not just baking; we’re building a stronger, more connected community one loaf and neighborly moment at a time,” while Matthew, who serves on the Opelika Main Street board, the Opelika Chamber board and a nonprofit foundation board, reiterated those priorities even as he reached behind the counter to grab a morning bun for a customer.

With the Gee Award and plans to multiply production capacity, Stinson Breads has moved from a 2019 home operation to a recognized regional supplier and community hub; sales gains of 434% and 288%, 25 staff members, and partnerships with nearly 20 cafes and restaurants underscore a rapid-growth model that local bakers and retailers will be watching as the Stinsons move into a larger downtown Opelika site.